Recto-verso printing device



Oct. 28 1958 E. FEBVRE 2,858,004

RECTO-VERSO PRINTING DEVICE Filed Jan. 11, 1957 a Sheets-Sheet 1INVEN.TOR. EDMOND FEBVERE I ZWQM AGENT Oct. 28, 1958 FEBVRE 2,858,004

RECTO-VERSO PRINTING DEVICE Filed Jan. 11, 1957 3 Sh96t$-$h66t 2 FIG.3

Oct. 28, 1958 E. FEBVRE 2,858,004

RECTO-VERSO PRINTING DEVICE Filed Jan. 11, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 UnitedStates Patent RECTO-VERSO PRINTING DEVICE Edmond Febvre, Saint-Maude,France, assignor to International Business Machines Corporation, NewYork, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 11, 1957,Serial No. 633,589 Claims priority, application France February 14, 19568 Claims. (Cl. 197-151) This invention relates to printing devicesemployed in business machines, and particularly to such devices that arecapable of accomplishing recto-verso printing.

Devices are known in which hectographic 'carbon tape or paper isadvanced horizontally or vertically with respect to the printing machinein a continuous manner. In this arrangement the hectographic tape islocated between the platen and the form to be printed, therebypermitting printing to be accomplished on both sides of the form.However, these prior art devices required that all the printing done onthe recto side also be accomplished on the verso side. Furthermore, noprovision was made for discouraging falsification of documents throughthe corrugation of the form involved in recto-verso printing. I

Therefore, the principal object of this invention is to provide animproved recto-verso printing device.

More specifically the object of this invention is to pro vide a devicethat is capable of selective verso printing.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device that is capableof makinga hectographic carbon tape active in some predeterminedprinting position and inactive in some other predetermined printingposition.

. Another object of this invention is to provide a device for retractingthe hectographic carbon tape from the printing position during apredetermined time interval in which recto printing is beingaccomplished.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device for corrugatingthe sheet bearing verso printing.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the followingdescription and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,which disclose, by way of examples, the principle of the invention andthe best mode, which has been contemplated, of applying that principle.

In the drawings: a i

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the invention as applied to aconventional business machine.

Fig. 2 is a vertical view of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a planned view of the inventon.

Fig. 4 shows the device in position for recto-verso printmg.

Fig. 4a shows the hectographic carbon tape in the retracted position.

Fig. 1 illustrates the invention as applied to a conventional accountingmachine, and for that reason only the mechanical parts required for anunderstanding of the invention are illustrated and will be described. Aform or sheet 1 that is shown in dotted lines is vertically shiftedbefore a printing position represented by the type bar. The ink ribbonand feed therefor for accomplishing recto printing on sheet 1 are notshown since they do not come within the scope of the invention.

The vertical shift of sheet 1 is accomplished by the simultaneousrotation of platen 2 and the two drive rollers 3, which have pins 4 thatpenetrate holes 5 along the margins of sheet 1. The platen 2 is mountedon drive shaft 6, which through the gear system 7, 8 and 9, transmits arotary motion to shaft 10 and then to rollers 3 ICC mounted thereon.Each roller 3 forms a part of a mobile assembly 11 which may be locatedin a particular position on rod 13 by locking screw12. Shafts 6, 10 androd 13 are supported by the frame of the paper feed block of which onlyside flange 14 has been shown.

The device for accomplishing the selective verso printing is labeled 15in Fig. 1. It comprises a guide 16 for carbon tape 17 which is wound andunwound upon two spools 18. The tape guide 16 is moved in a verticalplane by the action of arm 29 on pin 33 of mobile plate 34. Roller 28 atthe end of arm 29 is moved along the high and low surfaces of cam 27during a paper feeding opera: tion. The tape guide control assembly isdescribed in detail with regard to Figs. 4 and 4a.

Reference to Figs. 2 and 3 will show that control shaft 10 is supportedby sleeve bearings 19, 20 mounted on flanges 21, 22 of the frame. Shaft10 has a key gear 23 which drives gear 24 on shaft 25. In the disclosedembodiment, the ratio of pinions 23, 24 is so designed that the ratiobetween platen shaft 6 and shaft 25 is 2:1. On shaft 25 journaled in asleeve bearing 26 is mounted a cam 27. A roller 28 mounted at one end ofarm 29 is pressed against this cam under the action of spring 30. Arm 29swivels around shaft 31, and its other end 32, in the form of a fork,meshes with a stud 33, fixed to a mobile plate 34. Figs. 4 and 4a showthat plate 34 has a slot 35 that is traveled by two screws 36, 37mounted in flange 22 of the frame. The screws are so positioned withrelation to the length of the slot as to permit flange 34 to travel asutficient distance.

Returning to Fig. 3, it will be seen that a .roller 28 which swivelsaround shaft 31 meshes through its fork-shaped end 39 with a stud 40fixed upon a mobile plate 41, which like plate 34, slides freely betweentwo extreme positions. The motion of plate 41 is controlled by screws42, 43 that are fixed upon flange 21. Plates 34, 41 are connected bybrace 44 to which is fixed tape guide 16 by screws 45, 46. Tape guide 16has its ends 47, 48 bent back sufficiently to provide effective guidingaction for the'moving tape.

The tape control assembly which forms a part of this invention iscapable of being moved laterally along shafts 10, 13 when screws 49, 50(Fig. 3) are loosened. Sim: ilarly, the assembly may be fixed in aselected position on shaft 13 by tightening screws 49, 50.

Reference to Figs. 4 and 4m will show that platen 2 has two smalldetachable corrugated plates 51, 52 located apart. These corrugatedplates cause the form to be selectively wrinkled during verso printing,as will now be explained. In the selected example of operation a feedcycle corresponds to the half-rotation of the platen. Inasmuch as asingle line is to be printed on the reverse side (verso) of the sheetduring each half rotation of the platen, a single corrugated plate isprovided forl each half of the platen, which explains the 180posi'tionof the two plates, 51, 52 on .the platen. Similarly, it isunderstood that cam 27 performs a complete cycle when the platen rotatesthrough a 180 cycle. This operative relationship is accomplished by theexisting gear ratio between shafts 6 and 25.

When the device is in the position shown in Fig. 4 for verso printing,roller 28 is pressed against the grooved portion of cam 27 by spring 30.Arm 29,. which is controlled by the position of roller 28, has itsforked end 32 in the low position thereby maintaining stud 33 and themobile plate 34 also in a low position. Mobile plate 41 (Fig. 3) is alsoin a low position at this time. Therefore, tape guide 16 is in the lowor printing position such that the hectographic tape 17 is in line withcorrugated plate 51 to permit verso printing of sheet 1 at the same timethat the printed area is wrinkled by plate 51.

After the completion of the verso printing, roller 28 leaves the grooveportion of cam 27 in the direction away from shaft 25. The resultingclockwise rotation of arm 29 causes stud 33 to be moved to the highposition. That isto .say, the slotted plate 34 is moved upwards suchthat the lower portion of slot 35 is occupied by screw 36. The movementof plate 34 in the upward direction causes a simultaneous withdrawal oftape guide 16 from the printing position. In this position versoprinting cannot be performed and only recto printing is possible. It maybe seen from the position of cam 27 and platen 2 that there has been a90 rotation since the verso printing of Fig. 4.

In the disclosed embodiment of the invention a single line of versoprinting is accomplished on each particular sheet. Of course, it isunderstood that by replacing cam 27 by another cam having a plurality ofgrooves a number of lines may be printed in verso on each sheet. Theplaten, likewise, may carry a plurality of detachable corrugated platesin positions corresponding to the plural lines of verso printing.Furthermore, provision might be made in the form of, for example,clutching devices for controlling the continuous rotation of cam 27,providing for selective rotation. Similarly provision could be made formaking the corrugated plates selectively inoperative.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out thefundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferredembodiment, it will be understood that various omissions andsubstitutions and changes in the form and details of the deviceillustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in theart, without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is theintention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope ofthe following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a business machine for recto-verso printing, of the kind whereintype impressions are produced at a printing station, in reverse on theback of a sheet, by horizontally feeding a ribbon tape between a platenand a sheet, the combination comprising a platen, means for driving saidplaten, gearing means controlled by said platen drive means, means forguiding the ribbon tape,

printing and withdrawing said guide means to accomplish only rectoprinting at predetermined locations of the sheet.

4. In a machine for recto-verso printing having a platen, means fordriving said platen, a hectographic tape feed means, means for guidingsaid tape by the printing station, gearing means controlled by saidplaten control means, a plurality of pin feed means controlled by saidgearing means for moving a sheet at the end of a particular printingsequence, and means located between said plural pin-feed means andsynchronously operated with said pin-feed means by said gearing means,with said last-mentioned means controlling said tape guide means in amanner to present the tape at the printing station at predeterminedintervals of platen rotation.

5. In a machine for recto-verso printing of the kind wherein typeimpressions are produced at a printing station, in reverse on the backof a sheet, by horizontally feeding a ribbon tape between a platen and asheet, a tape guide, a first shaft for driving said platen, a first gearmounted on said first shaft, a second gear operated by said first gearto provide a predetermined gear ratio, a second shaft fixed to saidsecond gear, a plurality of paper feed assemblies mounted on said secondshaft for rotation therewith, a tape guide control assembly mounted onsaid second shaft between the plurality of said paper feed assembliesfor selectively positioning the tape guide in and out of the printingposition, and detachable strips located on said platen for wrinkling thetape when said l guide control assembly comprising a first gear mountedon said shaft, a second gear coacting with said first gear, a cam, a rodfor mounting said second gear and said cam, a movable plate, a tapeguide fixedly attached to said movable plate, and a lever controlled bysaid cam for imparting translation motion to said movable plate formeans controlled by said gearing means for moving the printed sheet in avertical direction, and means also controlled by said gearing means forselectively placing said guide means in printing position.

12. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said platen includesmeans for corrugating the printed sheet when said guide means is inprinting position.

3. In a machine for recto-verso printing in which a ribbon tape is fedhorizontally between a platen and a sheet, a platen drive means, meansfor guiding the tape through the printing station, gearing meanscontrolled by said platen drive means, pin-feed means controlled by saidgearing means for moving the sheet at the end of a certain printingsequence, and means also controlled by said gearing means fordetermining the vertical position :of said guide means, with saidlast-mentioned means placing said guide means in position to accomplishrecto-verso the purpose of raising and lowering said tape guide withrelation to the printing position.

7. The invention according to claim 6, wherein said platen includesdetachable metal strips that are placed in any predeterminedrelationship to each other to permit the wrinkling of the printed sheetwhen said tape guide is lowered to the printing position.

8. In a printing machine having a platen and a shaft geared to operatewith said platen, a hectographic tape guide control assembly comprisinggearing means controlled by said shaft, means for guiding the hectographtape through the printing position, and means controlled by said gearingmeans for moving said tape guide means into and out of the printingposition at predetermined intervals of platen rotation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,653,362 Kurowski Dec. 20, 1927

